Narrative:

In 3/mon/89 I was on a VFR single engine 130 charter flight from omaha, northeast, to mitchell, sd. I had 2 passenger on this trip. About 25 NM out of mitchell I was notified by one of the passenger that they would like to get some aerial photos of mitchell. I then informed them that I must maintain at least 1000' above the city. I then attempted to contact mitchell unicom on 122.8. I was given the wind direction and velocity. I then attempted huron FSS on 123.6 and was unsuccessful. Next I tried them on 122.1, listening on 109.2 and received a very garbled and unreadable response. By this time I had descended to 1000' AGL and was maintaining VFR. My passenger then proceeded to take some photos of mitchell. Throughout this time I was monitoring 122.8 (the unicom for mitchell). After my passenger had finished their photo taking, I noted that it was VFR and the latest WX that I had for the airport was 2 hours old. I then opted to exercise far 135.213. I proceeded to enter the control zone in VFR conditions. I then entered a downwind and announced my position, the same for base leg and final. Just as I was about to touch down a twin called in on 1/4 mi final. This is the first that I had heard from this plane and I had been monitoring 122.8 for over 20 mins. Being that I did not make the first turn off the pilot of the twin had to make a go around and circled to land. The pilot of the twin then proceeded to call the FAA and accuse me of being in the control zone in IFR conditions and cutting in front of him. In my opinion this entire situation could have been avoided had the pilot of the tower been monitoring 122.8 (unicom) and broadcast his position sooner. I feel that it should be taught to pilots to broadcast what their position is on the approach anytime and not take your IFR clearance for granted. In closing, I would just like to say that I never entered the clouds and that I never went below 1000' and 3 mi visibility. Also the reason that I had attempted to contact huron FSS was to get the current WX and also to close my VFR flight plan. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states FAA contacted him 1 hour after the event with second pilot's accusations. After listening to tapes FAA rep said most recent WX they could locate was the same as reporter had, 6 mi and 6000' broken, not IMC. Also indicated (as reporter states), communication between FSS and aircraft very garbled and unreadable. Reporter says this is often the case in this area. Feels the small transport remained on center frequency and did not monitor the CTAF until he broke out of clouds. FAA says no action anticipated.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT IN TRAFFIC PATTERN AT UNCONTROLLED FIELD. IFR ACFT ON APCH COMPLAINED THAT HE WAS CUT OUT ON APCH AND HAD TO GO AROUND.

Narrative: IN 3/MON/89 I WAS ON A VFR SINGLE ENG 130 CHARTER FLT FROM OMAHA, NE, TO MITCHELL, SD. I HAD 2 PAX ON THIS TRIP. ABOUT 25 NM OUT OF MITCHELL I WAS NOTIFIED BY ONE OF THE PAX THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO GET SOME AERIAL PHOTOS OF MITCHELL. I THEN INFORMED THEM THAT I MUST MAINTAIN AT LEAST 1000' ABOVE THE CITY. I THEN ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT MITCHELL UNICOM ON 122.8. I WAS GIVEN THE WIND DIRECTION AND VELOCITY. I THEN ATTEMPTED HURON FSS ON 123.6 AND WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. NEXT I TRIED THEM ON 122.1, LISTENING ON 109.2 AND RECEIVED A VERY GARBLED AND UNREADABLE RESPONSE. BY THIS TIME I HAD DSNDED TO 1000' AGL AND WAS MAINTAINING VFR. MY PAX THEN PROCEEDED TO TAKE SOME PHOTOS OF MITCHELL. THROUGHOUT THIS TIME I WAS MONITORING 122.8 (THE UNICOM FOR MITCHELL). AFTER MY PAX HAD FINISHED THEIR PHOTO TAKING, I NOTED THAT IT WAS VFR AND THE LATEST WX THAT I HAD FOR THE ARPT WAS 2 HRS OLD. I THEN OPTED TO EXERCISE FAR 135.213. I PROCEEDED TO ENTER THE CTL ZONE IN VFR CONDITIONS. I THEN ENTERED A DOWNWIND AND ANNOUNCED MY POS, THE SAME FOR BASE LEG AND FINAL. JUST AS I WAS ABOUT TO TOUCH DOWN A TWIN CALLED IN ON 1/4 MI FINAL. THIS IS THE FIRST THAT I HAD HEARD FROM THIS PLANE AND I HAD BEEN MONITORING 122.8 FOR OVER 20 MINS. BEING THAT I DID NOT MAKE THE FIRST TURN OFF THE PLT OF THE TWIN HAD TO MAKE A GAR AND CIRCLED TO LAND. THE PLT OF THE TWIN THEN PROCEEDED TO CALL THE FAA AND ACCUSE ME OF BEING IN THE CTL ZONE IN IFR CONDITIONS AND CUTTING IN FRONT OF HIM. IN MY OPINION THIS ENTIRE SITUATION COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED HAD THE PLT OF THE TWR BEEN MONITORING 122.8 (UNICOM) AND BROADCAST HIS POS SOONER. I FEEL THAT IT SHOULD BE TAUGHT TO PLTS TO BROADCAST WHAT THEIR POS IS ON THE APCH ANYTIME AND NOT TAKE YOUR IFR CLRNC FOR GRANTED. IN CLOSING, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT I NEVER ENTERED THE CLOUDS AND THAT I NEVER WENT BELOW 1000' AND 3 MI VISIBILITY. ALSO THE REASON THAT I HAD ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT HURON FSS WAS TO GET THE CURRENT WX AND ALSO TO CLOSE MY VFR FLT PLAN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: REPORTER STATES FAA CONTACTED HIM 1 HR AFTER THE EVENT WITH SECOND PLT'S ACCUSATIONS. AFTER LISTENING TO TAPES FAA REP SAID MOST RECENT WX THEY COULD LOCATE WAS THE SAME AS RPTR HAD, 6 MI AND 6000' BROKEN, NOT IMC. ALSO INDICATED (AS RPTR STATES), COM BTWN FSS AND ACFT VERY GARBLED AND UNREADABLE. RPTR SAYS THIS IS OFTEN THE CASE IN THIS AREA. FEELS THE SMT REMAINED ON CENTER FREQ AND DID NOT MONITOR THE CTAF UNTIL HE BROKE OUT OF CLOUDS. FAA SAYS NO ACTION ANTICIPATED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.